Valve mechanism for rotary engines



Nov. 20,1934. w. w. BROWN I I 1,981,778

VALVE MECHANISM FOR ROTARY ENGINES Filed July 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1934. w. w. BROWN 1,931,773

v QVIALVE MECHANISMYFOR ROTARY ENGINES Filed July 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 1' and arrangement of the several parts, to be tion of the two chambers thereof will expand in- Patented Nov. 20, 1934 g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v v 1,981,778 1 f VALVE MECHANISM FOR ROTARY'ENGINES "William W. Brown, Blytheville, Ark." Application. J i1ly.23, 1929, Serial No. 380,327 1 v 1 Claim. (or 121-40) 1 7 This invention relates; to a valve mechanism jection of one rotor will enter the notch of the for a rotary'engine'which is mainly designed for other rotor as the projection carrying parts of use .with steam, the general object of the inventhe two rotors come together, so that the protion being to provide mechanism of this charjections will not interfere with the revolutions of .acterwherein the same is adjustable for conthe rotors. C trolling the passageof the steam to the rotors so The shafts are geared together bythe-gears 13 that the engine can be driven at different speeds. and the shafts. rotate inoppositegdirections, as This invention also consists in certain other shown by the arrows in Figure 2. g Thusthe steam features. of construction and in the combination flowing into each housingat the point of ,junchereinafter fully described, illustrated in the acthe space formed by the'two projections and the companying drawings and specifically pointed expanding action of the steam, acting on the proout in the appended claim. jections, will cause the rotors to revolve, the pro- In describing the invention in detail, reference jections moving away from each other. The

will be had to the accompanying drawings wheresteam will continueto act on the projections until {H in like characters denote like or corresponding the projections come opposite the-exhaust port 6, parts throughout the several views, and in when the steam will escape through said port, which:- but the momentum of the parts will cause the Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view rotors to continue to revolve until the projections '2 through the improved engine, the section being pass each other and uncover the inlet port, when {(1 taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 3 looking in the the steam will again act on the projections to direction of the arrows. continue the movement of the rotors.

Figure 21s a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. In order to intermittently supply the steam to Figure 3is a sectional view taken approximately the housings, I provide a valve casing 14 at the on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direcinlet side of the two housings, this casing being ;8 tion of the arrows. in communication with the ports 5 and is con- Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of nected to a'steamsupply by a port 15. A cylindri- Figure 1. cal-shaped valve member 16 is arranged in the Figure 5 is a view of the valve member. casing and has its central part closed by a parti- 0 In these views, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate a tion 17 which is keyed at a: to a shaft 18 which pair of housings which are supported on the base is shiftable, longitudinally of the casing, the key 3, each housing being shaped to form upper and engaging a slot 19 in the shaft so that the valve lower circular chambers 4 which are in commember has sliding movement therewith and is munication with each other, as clearly shown in held, by the key, against rotative displacement 3 Figure 2. An inlet port 5 is formed in one side of with respect thereto. The ends of the valve mem- I each housing for delivering steam or other exber are open, and it is provided with two ports pansible fluid into the housing at the point of 20, one adjacent each end thereof. The ports are junction of the two chambers and an outlet port arranged on opposite sides of the valve member 6 is formed at the opposite side of each housing, and one port is of gradually increasing width 0 this outlet port being of greater diameter than from a point adjacent its inner end to its outer the inlet port. Shafts '7 and 8 pass through the end while the other port is of gradually increashousings, the lower shaft '7 passing through the ing width from a point adjacent its outer end lower chambers of the housing and the upper to its inner end, as clearly shown in Figure 5. shafts passing through the upper chambers there- The shaft 18 which passes through the valve of. A pair of rotors 9 is fastened to the shaft member is connected by the gears 21 with the 8 and a pair of rotors 10 is fastened to the shaft upper shaft 8 and said shaft 18 is slidably sup- I, the rotors on shaft 8 being arranged in the ported and is moved longitudinally by the hand upper chambers of the housing and those on the lever 22 which is connected with one end of the shaft '7 being arranged in the lower chambers. shaft by the grooved collar 23 and the pin carryi The rotors in each housing contact with each ing collar 24 so that the shaft can be moved other, as shown in Figure 2, and each rotor is longitudinally by the lever without interfering formed with a projection 11 which contacts the with its rotary movement. The gear 21 on the wall of the chamber and with a notch 12 which is shaft 18 is slidably but non-rotatably connected arranged adjacent the projection, these projecwith the shaft. Suitable housings 25 are provided tions and notches being so formed that the profor the gears 13 and 21. The shafts are provided with anti-friction means 26 and a pulley 27 is fastened to a projecting end of the shaft 7.

From the foregoing it will be seen that during the rotary movement of the valve member 16, it will first deliver a supply of steam to one housing so as to cause the rotors therein to revolve and then, after the valve member has made a half revolution, its other part will come opposite the inlet port 5 of the second housing so that a supply of steam will be delivered to this housing. The amount of steam supplied to each housing can be regulated by moving the valve member and its shaft longitudinally so as to bring diiferent parts of the ports 20 opposite the ports 5, it being understood that the rectangular portions 20' of the ports will permit a less amount of steam to enter the ports 5 than will the wider portions of said ports 20, as the Wider portions will cause the ports 5 to remain open for a longer period of time than will the rectangular portions.

As will be seen, the expansible action of the steam will act on the projections or vanes of the rotors for over a half revolution of each rotor so that the maximum force of the steam is utilized to propel the rotor. The steam will expand in opposite directions and thus act on both projections or vanes and drive the rotors in opposite directions. By making the valve member with its ends open, the valve member is balanced and there is no danger of a thrust action taking place due to the steam acting against said ends.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A valve mechanism for a rotary engine comprising a cylindrical body having means for its communication with cylinders of the engine at one side thereof, a cylindrical-shaped valve arranged in the body, said valve having opposite open ends and also ports on opposite sides thereof intermediate of its ends, each port being of a gradually increasing Width from one end to the other,

a partition formed medially in said valve for separating the ports in the latter, a supply pipe communicating with the cylindrical body spaced from said means, a shaft centrally of said valve and carrying the same, a hand lever for shifting said shaft longitudinally of the cylindrical body, and means for rotating the shaft and having driven connection with said engine.

WILLIAM W. BROWN. 

